And 2 days in a row King has had to write about the rotting Yankees. Maybe he has been reading the blog.

You know as interesting (okay, fun) as this has been to watch, I am beginning to get worried that this is another one of those "Boone blowing out his knee" situations. We are laughing now, but the Yanks aren't about to sit back and do nothing.

Of course it is more difficult to make the big move in season. I am cheering my ass off for Houston and of course the same day I say they could come stomring back, Lidge gives up 3 in the 9th.

Good point about this being a possible "Aaron Boone basketball moment".

[Though here's another what-if: what if Boone hadn't played basketball in early 2004? Beltre and Beltran would both be Yankees by now, and Soriano would still be their 2B.]

Still, if I were the Yankees I wouldn't try a stopgap measure to salvage the season. Each time they do it, it only makes things worse. If they're still terrible in a month and a half, try to rebuild. But they might not be; we can only assume Matsui will hit; A-Rod will start getting key hits; The Unit will return to NL-form. They may fall a bit more in the standings (gooooo Rays!) but I think this is rock-bottom for them, and things will improve. The more distance the Sox put between them now, the better.

Pretty much agree that they should come around - maybe not to championship caliber, but better than they are playing. and with $50 million or so coming off the books next winter (Brown, bernie, Karsay, gordon, quatrill) they shouldn't mess things up for the future.

Not that I'm hoping for it, but they better do it soon. To steal Matt's point a bit from the other day. To reach 90 wins (no guarantee of playoffs) they must go 79-55 (a not unreachable pace of.589)

But from there things get a little more difficult - to manage 95 wins (about where the Sox have been the last 3 years and the last 4 wild cards have been 98 95 99 and 102 wins) they must go 84-50 (.627 pace - which is 101 win pace over an entire season).

To reach 100 wins, they would have to play 89-45 baseball. Or the equivalent of the 98 Yankees, which they are clearly not.

Of course this could all change with a nice little 10 game winning streak or 18-3 stretch, but I don't see that happening as long as Brown and a rookie are in the rotation.

Sorry, no way are they going 84-50 the rest of the way...34 games over .500? Let's not forget they have a mess at first base (neither guy is producing, and neither guy is going to put up monster numbers), they have a rookie a 2b, and their bullpen is in ruins...Gordon had a resurgence last year, but that was quelled, and I think Quantrill was overused as well.

I am not saying these things because I love the Sox, it is just that these things are true.

Jeter, A-Rod and Sheff have been hitting a lot. Matsui will improve, but the rest of the team is pretty much on target. They've been losing 11-8 not 2-1...They are scoring but their pitching is terrible...And I think Pavano has been pitching like the Pavano of his entire career (a .500 pitcher with a 4-something ERA).

I most certainly do not see them struggling the entire season, but I think they may have dug themselves quite a hole considering their team. If they go 17-11 over their next 28 (.608 winning percentage)they are back to .500. Even that is quite a road.

But as pointed out above, I don't think we will be seeing "this team" for the rest of the year.

They are getting below replacement level peformance out of two spots in the rotation, so I expect them to be, well, replaced. Same story for the bullpen. I imagine its not long before Urbina to the Yankee rumors start flying.

Some GM may get seduced by $$ into helping Cashman bail himself out of this mess.

Let's look at performance.Pavano...I think he is pitching at his level (as stated before).Johnson...Injury aside I think he's been their best and will win 18-20 games.Mussina, I believe looking at last year and this year, is right in line with his ability.Wright, I thought he was going to be terrible and he was up until his shoulder came apart.Brown, I thought he was fairly done and it looks as if he is.

Looking around the league, what can the Yankees do to upgrade their starting pitching (if they need to fill 2 spots)? Who is out there? Who or what would they have to give up? Even getting Clemens at the deadline (with luxury tax and salary) would be $15MM total to rent him for the rest of this year. And with the other problems they have, would that be enough? And Clemens probably won't be available until the All-Star break (if at all).

Their bullpen has Gordon (who's resurgence has ended) and Quantrill (who seems ordinary now). Stanton is Stanton...Rivera is still the best guy out there...F-Rod has not been good (and he may be the only real tradeable guy they have out there).

Matsui is a free agent after this year which may mean that he might have to go, but then who replaces him in the OF? He would certainly be enough to get a good pitcher, though.

They have a lot of holes and not much, besides cash, to try to fill them.

If you were Cashman where would you start? What is their number one priority? That's a tough call...I am starting to see this Yankees team like I saw the Yankees in the 80s...Lots of big names and not many wins.